What to do when you are 13 weeks pregnant

I believe that many pregnant mothers have done NT examinations, and some have even undergone multiple scans during the examination process before having the examination. Maybe some pregnant mothers don’t know what this inconvenient NT test is until their newborn is born. So, what is the NT test? What to do for NT test at 13 weeks of pregnancy?

What is NT test?

nt (nuchal translucency), that is, the thickness of the neck membrane, refers to the maximum thickness between the skin and the subcutaneous soft tissue in the sagittal cross-section of the fetal cervical vertebrae. The inspection method is as follows:

1. The NT test, also known as the nuchal translucency scanner, is a method of accurately measuring the thickest location of the echo-free transparent layer of the subcutaneous tissue in the fetus's neck using B-ultrasound to assess whether the fetus is likely to suffer from Down syndrome. It is a screening method.

2. The NT test is different from diagnostic tests such as chorionic villus aspiration biopsy or amniocentesis. They can provide a clear diagnosis, but the NT test can only remind of the risk.

result:

1. If the pregnant mother finds that the NT value is beyond the normal range during the NT test, further fetal abnormality screening should be carried out. Amniocentesis or chorionic villus aspiration biopsy can be performed to determine whether she has Down syndrome or other diseases.

2. The accuracy of the nuchal translucency examination is determined by many factors, including the level of the ultrasound doctor and the accuracy of the scanner used, so the examination results cannot be guaranteed to be 100% accurate.

How NT Scanning Works

The ultrasound examiner will first determine the gestational age by measuring the baby's size from head to buttocks to see if his size is appropriate. The doctor then places sensors on your abdomen so that your baby's nuchal translucency shows up on the monitor, and uses a disc to measure its thickness on the screen.

The age of the mother is a factor because while anyone can have a baby with a chromosomal abnormality, the risk increases with the mother's age. For example, the probability of a pregnant woman having a baby with Down syndrome at the age of 25 is 1/1200, which rises to 1/100 at the age of 40.